Upon entering Open Air’s Long Beach retail space, you’re immediately transported into a realm of self-imposed stardome with one of a kind pieces at arms length & designer items readily accessible despite finite amounts. Household names decorate the facility with Yeezy & Fear Of God spotlighted in one area followed by Dior & Chanel in the next. Despite an impressive stock of items, store owners Martaveous Holliday & Savannah Dingman are incredibly conscious about offering a more curated experience for their customers. As a result, the duo have approached their floor plan from a more boutique angle rather than maximizing the sheer square footage of the building packing sneakers from floor to ceiling and overflowing clothing racks as the majority of their counterparts do.
The concept of Open Air holds a deeper sentiment. Having noticed a pattern of rare sneakers consistently mixed with luxury clothing, Holliday & Dingman began investigating further only to find that most retailers either offered one or the other: sneakers or designer apparel. Even for the rare few that did, they had not mastered the aesthetic that Holliday & Dingman ultimately envisioned nor did the inventory match what the two were capable of pulling in. At Open Air, you’ll find plants hanging from raised ceilings fusing the outside with the inside coupled with a massive honeycomb sneaker display highlighting some of the most limited Nike & Adidas pairs available. In turn, an elevated & modern atmosphere is born that exudes panache enticing you to return once more.
With a greater goal and vision in place, it’s only fitting to find Open Air experimenting with a clothing line of their own. Following in line with the elevated look they represent, each of Open Air’s pieces are cut & sewn making them feel right at home alongside current luxury lines. Additionally, their apparel is ethically sourced and made within the U.S. out of Los Angeles. Moreover, the collection has performed exceptionally well with over a thousand sold in the last year each priced anywhere from $80 to $200.
In fact later this year, Open Air plans to unveil their Los Angeles location continuing their reputation of prioritizing the customer experience with thoughtful aesthetics and an unrivaled level of inventory. Holliday accompanies this idea by saying “In the long run, we hope to become a household storefront for the streetwear & sneaker culture. As we continue to push ourselves, I know we will continue to stand out”. To highlight a few treasures, the company houses Bad Bunny Adidas that can retail for $500 a pair to Supreme Nike Dunks in barkroot brown that can sell for as much as $2,000 — if you can find them that is. With mega stars backing these shoes such as Kanye West & Travis Scott to name a few notable names, it’s no surprise to see such high demand. “The footwear & clothing we sell are sold out online in 10 seconds,” Dingman says.
With continual success comes inevitable hurdles. The Open Air team have valiantly kept up with the ever-changing trends within fashion, while also keeping the physical store staffed to combat the frequent foot traffic. As perfectionists, the store isn’t always what they would prefer, however, it’s always what the people want.
